The Associated Press will release its annual preseason top 25 men’s basketball poll at 1:30 p.m. I am one of 65 voters (the only representative in West Virginia). I last held the hoops vote in 2013, as myself and fellow Gazette-Mail sports staffer Mitch Vingle rotate between football and basketball each season.

Below you’ll find my preseason poll. I agonized over it. I’m sure I’ll get ridiculed for certain parts, especially my ranking of Kentucky and Duke. I urge patience. I prefer to rank and evaluate on actual performance, not paper, so anticipate wild adjustments in my poll once the games begin.

That said, I love discussion and debate, and all of your thoughts are welcome here.

Happy hooping …

Chuck McGill’s preseason top 25 poll, as submitted to the Associated Press: